Taking Inventory
by EveLGW
Summary: 'With trained eyes, Sara continued to take in the details around her, to take inventory.' (GSR)


Title: Taking Inventory  
Author: Eve (little_grey_woman42@yahoo.de)  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: Not mine.  
Keywords: GSR. Fluff. Make sure to brush your teeth after reading the story - after all you don't want to end up with cavities, do you?  
Summary: With trained eyes, Sara continued to take in the details around her, to take inventory.  
  
  
Taking Inventory  
by Eve  
  
Sara opened the door to the apartment.  
  
The quiet and calm atmosphere that engulfed her as soon as she entered the room presented a welcomed contrast to the busy city she left outside. It was still very early in the morning. The sun hadn't risen yet and the light of the street lamps that made it through the drawn curtains only sparsely lighted the room in front of her.   
  
Still she didn't bother to switch on the lights but rather waited a few seconds till her eyes got used to the dimness. Then she closed the door behind her, stepped further inside and deposited her load carefully on the kitchen counter next to the plant. She couldn't help herself and took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of its white and salmon coloured blossoms. Even in the twilit room they stood out in contrast to the dark rich green of its leaves, telltale signs of a flower well cared for.  
  
A blinking light on the answering machine next to her things on the counter caught her eye, but she decided to get back to it later.   
  
Sara turned around and faced the room. With trained eyes, she continued to take in the details around her, to take inventory.  
  
On the right, a desk with a computer. She would have to check the in-box later. A blue sweater, casually thrown over the back of the chair.  
  
Next to it, some bookshelves. She stepped closer and read some of the titles. Novels, textbooks, encyclopaedias. Neatly organised and put into alphabetical order. A stereo. Lots of CDs, music ranging from modern to classic, even a few records on one of the lower shelves. DVDs and videotapes. Nothing out of the ordinary. She moved on.  
  
A few stray rays of light made it into the room as she shifted the curtains a bit, looking out of the window. Dawn was already breaking.  
  
She turned around again and walked up to the couch and the small table in front of it. An open book turned upside down, a pair of glasses, some magazines. A candle, almost completely burnt down. Two wineglasses, one with faint smudges of lipstick on it. A bottle of wine, still half full.   
  
Walking past the TV on her right, she approached the kitchen counter again and this time moved behind it. Several tiny flowerpots with fresh herbs and spices, all lined up behind the beautiful plant. Pots, cutlery and a couple of dishes in the dishwasher. No take-out menus on the door of the fridge. She pulled the door open, scanned the inside with a cursory glance. Bottled water, iced-tea, milk. A few vegetables, lettuce, tomatoes, still fresh looking. Some plastic containers with leftovers from home-made meals.   
  
Closing the door, she stood up, walked around the counter and turned left. Halfway down the short hallway, she opened the first door which led to a small bathroom. Bathtub, shower stall, sink, laundry hamper. A medicine cabinet with a bottle of aspirin, some other non-prescribtable medication. A man's razor and shaving creme on the shelf next to the sink, a small pile of fresh towels, two toothbrushes in a holder, a tube of toothpaste. She contemplated the toothbrushes for a moment before she exited the bathroom and stepped out into the hallway again.  
  
Only one room left.  
  
Already standing slightly ajar, she quietly pushed the door completely open. The noises from the streets outside were still subdued and she found the room bathed in the warm, reddish glow of the morning sun which was filtering through the cloth of the closed curtains. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the bed, to the motionless figure underneath the covers.  
  
Slowly, carefully watching her steps she made her way up to the bed and stopped in front of the nightstand. A short glance at the display of the alarm clock told her that time was running out, that she should hurry up because the others were due to arrive soon.  
  
But for some reason she didn't want to.  
  
Not that day.  
  
Nor any other day.  
  
Crouching besides the bed, she gazed at his relaxed features. Not wanting to disturb the peaceful scene in front of her but overcome with an urge she couldn't fight, she hesitantly reached out and tenderly ran her fingers through his unruly salt and pepper coloured curls.   
  
When her gaze focused on his face again, she was met with two blue eyes. Staring at her. And with a gentle smile that mirrored her own.  
  
"Hey, sleepyhead."  
  
"Sara."  
  
"How long have you been awake?" she asked him softly.  
  
"Some time. I heard you walking around in the living room. Started wondering whether you were planning on coming back to me at all." His eyes twinkled and she kept running her fingers through his hair. A bit more serious he added: "You weren't here when I woke up."  
  
"I bought breakfast for the gang."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"The others are supposed to be here in half an hour," she explained. "We wanted to go over the case together, plan our next steps, remember?"  
  
"Right." He sat up and stretched, then threw a glance at the alarm clock. "Half an hour?"  
  
"Yeah," she said and walked over to the other side of the bed. She sat down, scooted over and finally settled down next to him.  
  
"That's not much time." Taking her hand, he linked his fingers with hers and smiled contentedly when she rested her head against his shoulder. "We still have to tidy up your apartment."  
  
She tightened her grip on his hand a bit. "Do we?"  
  
He looked up from their joined hands trying to catch her gaze and gauge her expression but she avoided his eyes.  
  
"If we don't, they'll know."  
  
They had decided to keep their relationship a secret around the department, knowing that especially Ecklie would have a field day if he knew about them. Hiding it from their colleagues had been more of a challenge, but they managed. At first they tried so hard to keep their distance at work that Catherine finally asked Grissom whether he had been fighting with Sara again. But after a few weeks of adjustment, they managed to get back to the easy banter they shared before without revealing the change that had taken place and soon the negative tension vanished.  
  
During the four month they had been together there had only been a few occasions when one of their colleagues had actually been inside one of their respective apartments. But since they spend half of the time at her and the other half at his place, some things were simply bound to end up at the 'wrong' apartment. Others were brought there with on purpose, like the extra changes of clothes hidden in drawers and closets. So, in order not to arouse any suspicion, they had to 'tidy up' his or her place each time anyone came over, which meant basically to get rid of any evidence that would hint at the other person's presence.   
  
"Yeah." This time she looked up and he found himself immediately lost in her gaze. Moving at the same time, both of them leaned in. A kiss, slow, tender, loving. A promise.   
  
"Are you sure?" He could see the answer in her face, shining brightly in her eyes, but he had to hear it.   
  
"I am," she said. But then she added quickly: "Are you? I mean we don't have to do it if you don't -" He simply kissed her again, softly whispering, "I love you" against her smiling lips.  
  
They settled back against the pillows of her bed, still holding on to each other. "We still have to be careful, though," she said, her voice serious with unspoken implications.  
  
"I know," he replied. "But at least we don't have to pretend around them any longer. And they won't tell anyone." He planted a kiss on her forehead and tightened his embrace around her. After a couple of minutes he asked her teasingly: "What do you think - how long 'till they figure it out?"  
  
"Well," she answered just as playfully, patting his bare chest, "I really like your current attire, boxer shorts and all, but if you don't start dressing right now ... not very long I suppose. They are trained investigators after all."  
  
He sighed as she slowly disentangled herself from his arms and stood up.  
  
"And in the meantime, I'll better go and set the table." She walked up to the door but stopped at the threshold. "Grissom?" she said, turning around once again.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I love you too."  
  
Sara walked down the short hallway, past the open bathroom door, until she stood once again in her living room. Drawing the curtains open, her eyes squinted slightly against the brightness as the light flooded the room and chased the remaining shadows away. She took the two wineglasses and the bottle and walked over to the kitchen. The wineglasses went into the dishwasher, the bottle of wine into the fridge. Standing next to the beautiful blooming orchid in front of the kitchen counter, she once again looked around her living room with a cursory glance. His sweater was still thrown over the back of the chair in front of her desk, his book still on her table next to his glasses.   
  
And when she heard the approach of his footsteps as he finally walked down the hallway in order to join her, she knew that everything was right where it belonged. 


End file.
